As a personal user of the DROID RAZR M, I've got to say that Motorola's 2012 line of branded DROIDs have held up remarkably well. That's due in no small part to frequent and relatively speedy updates. The latest one doesn't come with a new version of Android (they're running 4.4.2 at the moment), but it does have a few security enhancements and improvements to the default messaging app.

The Moto E is Motorola's bid to dominate the low-end and developing markets, but that doesn't mean it's not worthy of attention from developers. As always with new Android phones, Motorola has posted the kernel source code for developers (and anyone else who wants to mess with it) at their official GitHub page.

The company also posted the updated source code for the RAZR M and RAZR HD (the international GSM variants of the Verizon-exclusive DROID RAZR M and DROID RAZR HD).

If you've bought a DROID phone from Verizon and Motorola at some point in the last two generations, you've got an update coming soon. The carrier posted update materials for all 2012 and 2013 Motorola DROIDs: RAZR M, RAZR HD, RAZR MAXX HD, Mini, Ultra, and Maxx. The older phones are getting upgraded to Android 4.4.2, while the newer DROIDs just get a stability update.

Motorola is continuing its tradition of being transparent about which devices are on the docket for OTAs. The company's online tool has been updated to indicate several new devices will be joining the Android 4.4 fold.

The folks on the CyanogenMod team are always adding new devices to their ever-increasing list, and over the last few days they've added no less than eleven more. According to a pair of Google+posts, there are new officially-supported phones and tablets including two Barnes & Noble Nooks, a ton of Motorola devices, and a few Samsungs thrown in for good measure. Here's the full list:

Verizon has announced a pair of OTA updates for the RAZR HD (HD MAXX) and RAZR M, bringing a suite of enhancements and bug fixes to the two handsets.

Both updates include new versions of Backup Assistant and Motorola's Smartactions, as well as improved GPS reliability, increased stability, improved Bluetooth connectivity, SMS fixes, and support for VMware Horizon Mobile. Various security fixes from Google are also included. If your device is rooted, as always, be wary of downloading these updates, which should be rolling out in the next week or two.

Blue makes a lot of things better - berries, rhapsodies, alternative percussion groups. Whether or not Motorola's RAZRs look better with an azure paint job is something we'll leave up to you. Verizon is now selling blue versions of both the mid-range DROID RAZR M and the flagship DROID RAZR HD, though the latter is more of a trim than a full paint job. Both versions were spotted by notable tipster @evleaks about three week ago.

If you own a RAZR HD, RAZR MAXX HD, RAZR M, or Atrix HD, and you've been waiting for the day when sweet bootloader-unlocking goodness arrives, wait no more: Dan Rosenberg has come to the rescue yet again.

Dan just published a tool that will allow you to unlock any of the above-mentioned Moto devices, assuming you have root access on your phone. Just have a working superuser app on your device, download the tool, connect to your PC with USB debugging enabled, and run the included script.

If all-day-and-maybe-all-night battery life is an important thing in your quest for a new smartphone, you'll have a hard time finding something that lasts longer than the Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX HD. The device's massive 3,300mAh battery should be enough to last you through the workday, the evening, a night out, and then some, while its 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 should keep everything humming along nicely on the 4.7" 720p display.

If all that sounds lovely, but you don't want to shell out a couple-hundred dollars to get one for yourself, Amazon Wireless has the deal that'll get a brand new one in your pocket for a mere $80 – so long as you're willing to throw your John Hancock down in agreement to be loyal to Verizon for the next two years.

Given a long enough timeline, basically all carrier-branded Android phones will eventually reach the "free" price point on Amazon Wireless or Wirefly. That day has come for the Motorola DROID RAZR HD, as now both new Verizon customers and those eligible for upgrade can grab this device for a single, solitary penny. That makes it basically free.